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About the Center
In poverty-stricken parts of the world, it's no secret that job training is key to interrupting the cycle of poverty. Most job training programs focus on local trades: tailoring, wood working, farming, etc. However, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is an overlooked and understaffed job market, especially in underdeveloped countries where computers and technology trainers are scarce. But in many underdeveloped countries, like Uganda, the market for qualified ICT staff is set to explode thanks to broadband initiatives like the fiber lines running from Mombasa which has already reached downtown Jinja, the site of our center.
With the stage set for a new job market, our goal is to provide world-class training of all levels to those that could not normally afford it. Since this is a non-profit community-based venture funded by outside projects (such as our Internet cafe and restaurant), our pricing model is extremely aggressive. Since most locals can afford to spend time in Internet cafes at a rate of 60 to 75 cents per hour, our pricing starts at only 50 cents per hour. We also offer scholarships to driven, dedicated individuals that can not afford this rate. This provides hands-on computer experience which sets our users apart from even ICT university graduates, most of whom have never touched a computer during their studies.
We also provide training in the form of video-based CBTs and course materials. Video-based training allows students to take training at their own pace, and helps us keep costs down since we do not have to hire instructors. Unlike typical training business which can charge several months salary for a single course, we never charge for training. Students only pay for computer usage time, whether they access our training resources or not.
Our Sponsors
Our Training
Our e-book library gives students access to thousands of electronic computer reference and training books which litter our shelves in the West but are not available in most countries in Africa. We offer video training and certificate courses in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access, Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver and many other commonly used software packages. We also offer international certification courses found nowhere else in Uganda including CISCO INTRO and ICND, CISSP, Network+, Certified Ethical Hacking, and Mile2s certifications which cover penetration testing, wireless, secure coding, computer forensics and more. Armed with these internationally-recognized certifications, our students can land jobs located (virtually or physically) anywhere in the world.
Our course material is donated from generous private and corporate donors and due to bandwidth limitations, all content is stored locally on our servers within the center. Contact us if you are interested in donating content to our training center, or use the donation form to the right to make a financial donation.
Our current donors include:
Michael Gregg of Superior Solutions, Inc donated a huge box of his highly-regarded certification test prep books and video-based training based on the CISSP, and other world-renown certifications.This donation retails for several hundred US dollars.
The folks at Mile2 were gracious enough to donate their entire course library to our efforts, a donation retailing for thousands of dollars. We are working to integrate these excellent certification courses into our curriculum.
Peter over at The Academy was kind enough to donate his entire library of training videos! These videos cover all sorts of amazing system administration, security and networking topics in very cool bite-sized video chunks.
Lynda.com donated ten CDs of their training material including Microsoft Word 2003 and 2007 Essentials, Excel 2003 and 2007 Essentials, PowerPoint 2003 and 2007 Essentials, Access 2003 and 2007 Essentials, Windows XP Essentials and Windows Vista Essential, a donation retailing for approximately $500 US.
Total training provided us with a discount on a large training purchase, which included their Adobe Creative Suite 4 Master collection and Advanced Design Bundle. The discount saved us approximately $250.
Laura Chappell donated 75 copies of her Master Library, covering some awesome network and protocol analysis topics. The set retails for thousands of dollars.
The GCF offers some pretty slick training in lots of computer-related topics, and its all FREE! Its really great stuff. One of our volunteers in the US was kind enough to send a DVD of their courses.
Our Staff
Fred (Employee), Senior Manager
Gerod (Employee)
Geoffrey (Employee), Senior Manager
Andrew (Employee)
Henry (Volunteer)
Teo (Volunteer)
About
HFC Computer
Classrooms
“Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day.
Teach a man to fish, you feed him for life.”
-Chinese Proverb
HFC Classrooms
In the developed world, Information Technology (IT) is a booming business, providing sustainable income for millions.
But in underdeveloped countries in some of the worlds most remote areas, basic computer skills (word processing, photo editing, CD copying and printing, etc) provide an extremely viable source of sustainable income. By providing relevant, marketable skills training, we empower students, providing them with a bright future in which they can support themselves and their families without the need for charitable handouts.
However, computer training is expensive, far out of reach of those that need it the most.
Enter Hackers For Charity. The goal of our classroom initiative is to make computer training available to those that could not normally afford it.
Each classroom is a joint venture. Corporations, individual members of the community and anonymous donors have played a role in each project.
Also, be sure to see the upgraded version of the classroom initiative. Our community centers extend training to students as well as members of the community, greatly expanding the reach of our training.
St johns
The HFC Computer Training Center in Wakitaka Uganda begun as a partnership with Chief Government Whip the Honorable Daudi Migereko. During our visit to Uganda in 2007, he heard about our work (thanks in no small part to our good friend Sam Tushabe, the founder of AOET) and asked if we would help build a computer classroom in schools serving the "poorest of the poor." We were excited about the opportunity, but the job proved to be too big.
At the time, we had no resources on the ground in Uganda (The Longs were still going about their normal lives back in the US) and there were no real funds for the project.
However, in 2009, when Johnny and family moved to Uganda, the pieces started coming together. We developed our now-standard plan of using nComputing, Deep Freeze and NetSupport School in the tiny computer center at St. Johns. We learned how to partner with and harness local resources (carpenters, electricians, computer engineers, etc) and "slowly by slowly", the lab came together.
Paraben Corporation made a sizable donation to fund the desktop systems, and the laptops we installed were donated by a private donor. For the first phase of the project, we installed 12 nComputing desktops and 18 Pentium 4 laptops. We installed (and subsequently uninstalled) nearly a mile of Ethernet cable and spend countless days, weeks and months crawling around (and often laying on the floor) in the center trying to get things just right.
This constituted a lot of work and Johnny (alongside his trusted right-hand man, Fred) celebrated the final installation. However, this was only the beginning of the work to be done.
In order to ensure that the classroom last, we drafted a contract that outlined all the procedures and rules that should be followed. We associated penalties and fines with various infractions, assuming that the financial penalties would "scare" the school administration into setting and enforcing strict usage policies. The plan backfired, and the contract remained unsigned for six months. The equipment began to languish and at several points, we considered pulling the equipment.
But we remembered our promise to the Honorable Migereko and we wanted to honor that commitment. In a recent meeting, we agreed to forego the financial penalties and offer the classroom as a trial. Honorable Migereko and the Director of the Board St John's both agree that this is the best course of action, and one that puts the responsibility for the lab squarely where it belongs: in the hands of the school staff and administration.
It's our goal that the trial will be a success and that we can see this, our first and most "educational" classroom project flourish and grow into a model project, one that will last a generation and beyond.
Wakitaka
AOET REhaboth
Nestled in the hills of Njeru near Jinja in Uganda in East Africa, the AOET Rehaboth Secondary School is a sight to behold. Overlooking beautiful Lake Victoria, it's easy to be swept away by the beauty and the majesty of the area. But there's something even more majestic about what AOET has accomplished through the years, and the Rehaboth High School is yet another example of AOET's forward-thinking, big plans for the marginalized people of East Africa.
That's why, when AOET approached us with their plans for the school in 2006, we jumped at the opportunity to assist them with the computer lab in Njeru. Now, almost four years later, the school has become a reality and we've been able to make good on our promise to provide a state-of-the-art computer lab to match AOET's vision.
Although electricity and Internet remains troublesome at the site, we've begun our work there, providing 20 brand-new desktop systems and 18 brand-new DELL Vostro 1000 desktops (provided by Praxis Engineering and Proteus Technologies). The systems are loaded with NetSupport School software (which provides stunning classroom and teach organizational and presentation services) and Deep Freeze (which ensures the systems remain free from viruses and configuration problems).
We're still working on this classroom, but we're off to a great start. We're excited about what the future holds for this amazing school.
Secondary School
Webuye Kenya
Our first computer classroom project began as a simple cash donation to AOET Kenya for the purchase of desktop training computers. The staff at AOET coordinated the purchase of the machines, installed them, located a facility and began the training program. That training program is still running today and has served hundreds of students in Western Kenya.
Our organization has been funded by the generous donations of private donors for nearly three years. However, as our work in East Africa began to take root, we realized that private donations could no longer fully sustain the various projects we are undertaking.
As we spent more time in Jinja Uganda, we started to realize a few things. First, there is a thriving tourist trade in Jinja, thanks in large part to it's advantageous proximity to the Source of the Nile which draws tourists, rafters, kayakers and the like from all over the world. Second, there is a large European and American population which resides in Jinja supporting various charities, churches, businesses and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs). Third, as (now) locals, we felt there were very specific gaps in the services offered to tourists, visitors, expats, etc. Specifically, there was a need for:
- Fast Internet served in a bright, comfortable location
- Digital amenities to pass the time, especially modern (Internet-enabled) console and PC-based video games
- American and European food when visitors tire of local fare
- A themed restaurant that was good enough to draw visitors from surrounding areas, like Kampala (the capital).
- Good coffee. This goes without saying. East Africa is arguably the coffee capital of the world, so if coffee is served it should be done right.
As a family, we toyed with the idea of starting a place like this, but we had no idea where to begin. We had no experience in the areas of restaurant management, real estate or even basic business management. We had no clue about the local laws pertaining to business operation. But we knew that there was a niche waiting to be filled and a financial need to fund the work we were doing.
It was a rather impossible situation. So we began to pray earnestly for direction. God gave us some pretty specific answers, and the pieces starting coming together. We found a fabulous cook working right in our own home. Mary was more than house help. She had restaurant and catering experience, she was an amazing cook and her dream was to run a restaurant whose primary purpose was to better the community.
It seemed like a good start, but we had no land and no prospects. Local real estate was abysmal. I found two options: a 9' x 12' closet on main street and a warehouse just off of main that backed up up to low-income housing and sported lead paint and an asbestos ceiling. About to sign the lease for the warehouse, Jen, with her constant strong faith encouraged us to wait, and pray. The next day, a local Ugandan told us about some property that we might be interested in. It turned out to be the most beautiful property in Jinja (no exaggeration) and it was available for less than the price of the abysmal warehouse. And, it was in a better location.
Then, the Ugandan national champion barista approached us and let us know he appreciated what we were doing for the community. He was (of course) very happy with his current job, so he wasn't able to provide much assistance other than friendly advice. But a "chance" meeting in Kampala led us to the second-place finalist who, after hearing our story agreed to come and train our barista (coffee server) team. Our espresso machine is a story unto itself. Let's just say that a series of "chance" meetings led us to (our now good friend) Bruce, and espresso technician extraordinaire who found us a deal on the absolute top-of-the-line espresso machine for less than a third of the retail price. The story gets even better, thanks to Ron Martin, a volunteer who found two more machines, the sale of which may pay for the brand new machine we'll use in the cafe.
We're not there yet. There's a LOT of work to be done and we have no idea where the money is going to come from for everything that's needed to stock the place. But we're on the right track, and we're waiting patiently for each next step.
Eventually, though, we just know it will all come together. We'll offer amazing food, awesome coffee, blazing-fast Internet, digital fun and an amazing place to chill. And all the proceeds will go back into the community, specifically to the computer training center in Jinja, and the others we want to start all over East Africa.
Food For Work Program
We're technologists. We love solving ridiculously complex technology problems. That's why most of our programs focus on helping organizations and individuals with technology-based training and support. We've seen how technology can transform lives. But millions of people around the world are starving. They don't need high-tech anything. They need food.
Our food program has absolutely nothing to do with technology. It's about standing in the gap for the world's most vulnerable citizens. The program has two parts.
The food distribution program provides meals to HIV/AIDS patients. Although all of these patients are receiving medical treatment (ARV's, primarily) from international health-based agencies, their nutrition level is so low that the medication isn't working. By providing meals to these patients, we have seen a tremendous increase in the effectiveness of their treatments. So far we have provided hundreds of meals to patients near Webuye, Western Kenya, not far from the Uganda/Kenya border.
Soon after beginning our food distribution program, we realized that is was not sustainable since it relied on a constant flow of donor support. Our partners (AOET Kenya) suggested a "food for work" program whereby able-bodied participants be given plots of land and all the materials and skills needed to plant, maintain and harvest a large personal farm. A portion of the harvest is given to AOET Kenya for distribution in the community as well as to "buy" another season to work the farm. The bulk of the harvest goes to the farmer most of whom have graduated from the food distribution program and are now doing well enough to work to sustain themselves. In a typical one-acre plot, the farmer uses less than ten percent of the yield as food. The rest can be sold to raise children's school fees or additional materials or land for the generation of a larger harvest.
After the first harvest, the farmer is no longer dependent on additional donor support. Your "seed donation" creates an empowerment opportunity that breaks the cycle of poverty in the life of the recipient.
All the proceeds from sales of my No-Tech Hacking book support this program, as do partial proceeds from the "Informer" subscription service and the "donor cloud".
The plight of "street children"
Many large-scale relief efforts are in place to assist the children of Sub-Saharan Africa, but nearly all of them focus on children that are living in a family with at least one guardian, whether or not that guardian is directly related to them. The reasoning is simple: there is no easy way to account for donations given to children living without a guardian or outside of a family structure.
Because of this, homeless (or "street") children have fallen between the cracks of major relief efforts and often resign themselves to a life of begging and foraging for scraps of food. In developed countries, the homeless live off of the excess of the society. But in under-developed countries, there is no excess. This creates an impossible situation for the homeless in that society.
A solution
Street children in Uganda live a dangerous, difficult life. Locked in a battle for their own survival, they fight often to protect what little they own, and have no time to just "be kids". They know little of playing and having fun. Robbed of their childhoods, they "grow up" quickly in order to deal with the adult-sized problems they face.
Fun and play are great diversions that ease the stress of a difficult life and statistics prove that play is critical to a child's physical, emotional and psychological development. Beyond this, statistics also prove that children that enjoy play time are less apt to be involved in criminal activity later in life.
However, the key to a promising future lies in more than play. A child needs a safe environment, education and skills training if he is to become a functioning, healthy member of society. Our goal is to provide that in the form of a Youth Recreation and Training Center.
The Youth Recreation and Training Center
We have secured a property in Jinja, Uganda which boasts a large, walled compound, a field for play, a large building to house the training center and a large outdoor stage. We have secured the funds to pay the rent on the property for a period of one year. We have started a business (Internet cafe / Restaurant / Coffee shop) which will open in the next few months, the profits from which will be used to continue to operate the center.
The purpose of the center is to provide a location for homeless children where they can:
1) Attend free literacy and educational programs hosted by local teachers.
2) Learn trade skills such as computer education, woodworking, farming, tailoring and metalworking from local instructors and craftsmen.
3) Play at sports in a safe, outdoor, environment in a protected compound. We will offer football (American "soccer"), netball (American volleyball), basketball and free play.
4) Play games and recreational activities such as billiards, board games or video games. We also hope to offer a television where children can watch sports. Children seek out and engage in these types of activities but find them only in unsafe adult establishments such as bars, clubs and other establishments that serve alcohol.
5) Receive counseling and guidance from certified local Pastors who are currently engaged in successful youth rehabilitation programs.
Our goal is not to create opportunities for children to remain idle. Rather, our goal is to teach them, build them and train them, providing a path to a self-sustaining future free of charitable handouts.
To that end, games and recreational activities are allowed according to a ratio system. A child will be allowed to engage in 30 minutes of recreation for each hour spent successfully in training or engaged in employment. Our center will be staffed by screened, full-time workers hand-picked from the community to ensure that this ratio is strictly adhered to.
We will not charge the children to access the center, but a membership will be required. This allows us to enforce rules, keep order and set acceptable behavior standards which will help foster a safe environment. Children that can not abide by the rules will have their membership revoked and will be escorted from the facility under the supervision of one of our pastors or counsellors who will continue to work with the child in the hopes of returning him to the program.
Current Needs
Although we are able to pay the rent for the facility, we do not have the funds required to properly stock the center. We are seeking $8,600 US dollars to properly equip the center.
These funds will be used to pay for:
1) Staff salaries. Initially, we will hire a pastor to serve as a counsellor, two attendants to assist children, and a security guard. (Total cost $350/month x 12 months = $4,200)
2) Books and teaching materials. We will need to purchase books, teacher manuals, pens, pencils and writing pads to begin our basic training. (Total cost $800).
3) Furniture. We will purchase tables and benches made by local craftsmen. (Total cost= $200 per table with two benches x 6 sets = $1,200)
4) Sports equipment. We would like to purchase balls, pumps, and nets for play. (Total cost = $300)
5) Building materials and plumbing. Although the main building is large, we need to make several repairs. We would like to paint the walls and floors and add toilets and sinks to the bathroom. We also need to repair the roof and walls to keep rain from spoiling the equipment inside the building. (Total cost: $1100)
6) Recreational equipment. This includes a television and various games. This also includes smaller tables and chairs for recreational use. (Total cost: $1,000)
Note that we will provide food for the staff, and perhaps food for the children out of our own funds. We may work with partners in the community to provide food instead of providing it at the center. Also note that teachers and craftsmen will initially work as volunteers. We have made arrangements that these volunteers will trade their time for computer training in our computer training center.
Thank you for your interest in our Recreation center. I hope you will consider partnering with us in our efforts to assist the street kids in Uganda.
This far shot shows the recreation center building on the right hand side and the stage and play field in the distance.
This closer shot shows the stage and playfield.
Monte, Henry and Fred installing Monte's "Tetris Math" app on the OLPC's at Rehaboth Integrated.
Henry and Monte showing off the OLPC.
The crowd grows...
...and grows until eventually Monte is swallowed up by a crowd of enthusiastic students!
These things are magnets for kids!
They just can't wait to try them out!
We did some teacher training as well, again at Rehaboth Primary.
Monte teaching a group of teachers.
More teacher training. The teachers really had fun!
Fred and Henry translating and teaching with Monte.
Here we are training a large group of P7 students.
Johnny, Fred and Monte helping out.
The students loved Monte's program! It was a real winner.
Gerod helping out with the student training.
Monte sitting with a student that's playing his game. The students really loved this thing!
Thankfully, we had a little time to see the sights. Here's Monte at the Source of the River Nile. Thank you Monte for your excellent work for HFC and the teachers and students of Uganda. We will never forget you! We hope you come back soon!
We love the concept of the OLPC (One Laptop Per Child). However, the implementation really falls short. Case in point: Rehaboth Integrated School in Bugembe near Jinja, Uganda. A generous donor gave 100 OLPCs to the school, and they've sat in a closet for almost two years. The primary reason is that the staff had no real idea what to do with them. They needed training. (They were also waiting on the donor to release them to the school. They wanted the laptops to go home with the students a HORRIBLE idea in a developing country.)
Thats where we were happy to step in. Together with Monte Hoover, a recent graduate of West Point and the faculty and staff of West Point, we broke those machines out of the closet and began putting them to use.
Monte wrote an amazing game of Tetris Math and together we installed it and began training the staff and students of Rehaboth.
This was an amazing partnership, and I'm proud of the work we did there. Enjoy the photos!
johnny_hackersforcharity.orgPO BOX 1515Jinja UgandaEast Africa
johnny_hackersforcharity.org
PO BOX 1515
Jinja Uganda
East Africa
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HFC
Uganda
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